June 2021 United States airstrike in Syria: Difference between revisions

|partof = the [[American-led intervention in the Syrian civil war]]

|type = [[Air interdiction]]

|location = [[Imam Ali military base]], [[Al-Qa'im border crossing|Abu Kamal border crossing]], [[Abu Kamal]], [[Deir ez-Zor Governorate]],<br> [[Syria]]

|target = {{flagicon image}} [[Kata'ib Hezbollah]]<br>[[Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada]]

|casualties = 4-9 militiamen killed<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.syriahr.com/en/218594/|title=US strikes at Iraqi-Syrian borders – Seven members of Al-Hashd al-Shaabi killed and military post destroyed in US air attack on Iranian militia|date=28 June 2021}}</ref>

|campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Syrian Civil War}}{{Campaignbox Iraqi insurgency (2017–present)}}

[[File:Defensive Precision Airstrikes in the Iraq-Syria Border Region June 2021.webm|thumb|The airstrikes on Al Hury, Syria, 27 June 2021]]

On 28 June 2021, [[Joe Biden|President Biden]] directed airstrikes against Iran-backed militia groups close to the Syria-Iraq border.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.axios.com/biden-airstrikes-iran-backed-militias-iraq-syria-border-a9e6b94a-9c7c-4a67-94ac-359eb92fa808.html|title=Biden orders U.S. airstrikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria|work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]|date=28 June 2021}}</ref> [[McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle|F-15E]] and [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16]] aircraft were used to launch the attack in what the U.S. described as a retaliatory attack against U.S. facilities and personnel in Iraq by militia groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-syria-iran-middle-east-iraq-86f3bc438d6ab6c9b14580ec000bc600|title=US airstrikes target Iran-backed militias in Syria, Iraq|date=June 27, 2021|work=[[Associated Press|APNews]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-carries-out-air-strikes-against-iran-backed-militia-iraq-syria-2021-06-27/|title=U.S. warplanes strike Iran-backed militia in Iraq, Syria|date=June 27, 2021|work=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Two operational and weapons storage facilities were targeted in Syria, the U.S. military revealed in a statement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/28/us-carries-out-air-raids-on-iran-backed-groups-in-syria-iraq|title=US carries out air raids on Iran-backed militias in Syria, Iraq|work=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]|date=June 28, 2021}}</ref> Despite the U.S. not disclosing the information regarding the casualties in the attack, the [[SOHR]] stated that at least nine Iran-backed Iraqi militia fighters died, leaving many others injured.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.syriahr.com/en/218672/|title=Death toll update Nine militiamen of Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces killed in US airstrikes near Syria-Iraq border|work=The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights|date=June 28, 2021}}</ref> Iraqi militia groups aligned with Iran in a statement named four members of the Kataib Sayyed al-Shuhada faction they said were killed in the attack on the Syria-Iraq border.

==Reaction==

Iraqi Prime Minister [[Mustafa Al-Kadhimi]] condemned the air attack as a "blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty and Iraqi national security".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/28/iraq-pm-slams-us-raids-as-flagrant-violation-of-sovereignty|title=US raids slammed as 'blatant violation' of Iraq's sovereignty|work=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]|date=28 June 2021}}</ref> Meanwhile, Syrian state media ([[Syrian Arab News Agency|SANA]]) reported that an air missile attack after midnight on residential houses in the countryside of [[Abu Kamal]], presumably by American warplanes, killed a child and injured three civilians.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sana.sy/en/?p=239498|title=Aerial aggression believed to be American on border area with Iraq in Deir Ezzor countryside|work=SANA|date=June 28, 2021}}</ref>

Hours later, U.S. forces in Syria came under fire, following the U.S. strikes on the Syria-Iraqi border.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-says-its-strikes-iran-backed-militia-iraq-syria-were-necessary-2021-06-28/|title=U.S. troops come under fire in Syria after strikes against Iran-backed militias|date=28 June 2021|website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> Pro-Iranian militias fired rockets at the American base at Al-Omar Oilfield in Syria in response to U.S. airstrikes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.syriahr.com/en/218629/|title=Reacting to US strikes on Iranian positions Iranian-backed militias shell US military base in Deir Ezzor, causing material damage|work=The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights|date=June 28, 2021}}</ref>

The U.S. coalition responded by firing heavy artillery on Iranian-backed Militias Positions around [[Al-Mayadin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/28/us-defends-strikes-in-iraq-syria-and-armed-groups-vow-revenge|title=US forces in Syria attacked after air raids on armed groups|website=www.aljazeera.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3052926/us-troops-come-under-fire-syria-after-strikes-against-pro-iran-militias|title=US Troops Come Under Fire in Syria after Strikes Against Pro-Iran Militias|website=Asharq AL-awsat}}</ref> There were no injuries sustained during the attack, the spokesman for [[Operation Inherent Resolve]], Col. Wayne Marotto disclosed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/560606-us-troops-come-under-fire-in-syria-after-weekend-airstrikes|title=US troops come under fire in Syria after weekend airstrikes|first=Joseph|last=Choi|date=28 June 2021|website=[[The Hill (newspaper)|The Hill]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theweek.com/world/1002063/us-troops-come-under-fire-in-syria-day-after-airstrikes-targeted-militias|title=U.S. troops come under fire in Syria day after airstrikes targeted militias|website=The Week|date=28 June 2021 }}</ref>

==See also==

* [[List of United States attacks on Syria during the Syrian civil war]]

* [[February 2021 United States airstrike in Syria]]

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{{Syrian Civil War}}

{{Iran–United States relations}}

{{Iran–Iraq relations}}

{{Iraq–United States relations}}

{{Joe Biden}}

{{coord missing|Iraq}}

[[Category:2021 in international relations]]

[[Category:Attacks in Iraqin2021]]

[[Category:June 2021 eventsinSyria|United States airstrikes]]

[[Category:21st-century history of the United States Air Force]]

[[Category:Attacks in Syria in 2021]]

[[Category:2021 building bombings]]

[[Category:Building bombingsinIraq]]

[[Category:Building bombingsinSyria]]

[[Category:Deir ez-Zor Governorate in the Syrian civil war]]

[[Category:Iran–Iraq relations]]

[[Category:Iraq–Syria border]]

[[Category:Iraq–United States relations]]

[[Category:June 2021 events in Iraq]]

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